Fair or Foul and getting help

[chapmaja]

I saw this on a slow pitch game last week via video.

Batter ball is hit with a lot of spin down the 3b line. F5 charges and attempts to field the ball. Ball comes close to hitting the glove of F5 before spinning into foul territory. The umpire calls the ball fair, saying it hit off F5's glove. After a throwing error on the play, the batter runner ends up on third.

The defense's "coach" who also happens to be F5 (and also an umpire), asks the PU to ask his partner for help. In this case the partner had a very good view of the location of the ball and the defender.

Question: If you are the PU do you go to your partner for help on this call?

In this play, the PU did go for help and the correct call (foul ball) was made. The ball had come about a foot from hitting the glove of F5 and went into foul territory untouched where it settled motionless (as the defense thought it was foul).

I know once it is called foul, you can't call it fair, but if it is called fair, can you get together and call it foul?

I think the most important thing is to get the call right, and they did.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

I saw this on a slow pitch game last week via video.

Batter ball is hit with a lot of spin down the 3b line. F5 charges and attempts to field the ball. Ball comes close to hitting the glove of F5 before spinning into foul territory. The umpire calls the ball fair, saying it hit off F5's glove. After a throwing error on the play, the batter runner ends up on third.

The defense's "coach" who also happens to be F5 (and also an umpire), asks the PU to ask his partner for help. In this case the partner had a very good view of the location of the ball and the defender.

Question: If you are the PU do you go to your partner for help on this call?

In this play, the PU did go for help and the correct call (foul ball) was made. The ball had come about a foot from hitting the glove of F5 and went into foul territory untouched where it settled motionless (as the defense thought it was foul).

I know once it is called foul, you can't call it fair, but if it is called fair, can you get together and call it foul?

I think the most important thing is to get the call right, and they did.

I admit that the only slow pitch that I umpire is Special Olympics, which uses ASA Rules. So my knowledge of slow pitch mechanics is that the BU has only two positions during the game: "A" and "B". That leaves me with the following question: "How could the BU have a good look at the location of the Ball and the Defender?

MTD, Sr.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I admit that the only slow pitch that I umpire is Special Olympics, which uses ASA Rules. So my knowledge of slow pitch mechanics is that the BU has only two positions during the game: "A" and "B". That leaves me with the following question: "How could the BU have a good look at the location of the Ball and the Defender?

MTD, Sr.

Other than that (was it 3 ump?), slow vs. fast would not matter.

If the BU had a really good look and was sure of no touch in fair ground; then getting it right is what matters.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

"How could the BU have a good look at the location of the Ball and the Defender?

MTD, Sr.

Easier to see the air gap from an angle than it would be in a straight line.

[Andy]

For this situation, I go for help...

It's much easier to correct a fair ball to a foul ball than vice versa.
Move all runners back, add a strike to the count (or declare the batter out if strike three since this was SP), play on....

If this ball had been called foul initially, and help was requested, probably not going to go for help to change this to a fair ball.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Andy

For this situation, I go for help...

It's much easier to correct a fair ball to a foul ball than vice versa.
Move all runners back, add a strike to the count (or declare the batter out if strike three since this was SP), play on....

If this ball had been called foul initially, and help was requested, probably not going to go for help to change this to a fair ball.

Why not? If you are willing to correct it one way, why not the other? If the PU kicked it, s/he kicked it. And if it was that obvious that the BU could see it from 65'-70' away, I believe it would be a disservice to the teams and the game to ignore it.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

Question: If you are the PU do you go to your partner for help on this call?

Any time the coach asks me to check, and it's something that my partner might have had a better angle on (usually ... this is swipe tag or pulled foot... but your sitch fits too), I'm talking to my partner.

if coach had said... "You sure that wasn't foul when my 3rd baseman touched it?" --- then no way am I getting help.